At the same time, Snyder has shown he's woefully out of touch on one of the top priorities for Michiganders: education.

While Snyder runs around crying that he needs to raise taxes because our poor roads need $1.2 billion more each year (which won't even fix the really bad ones, because those are local roads), he ignores the fact that people have said repeatedly that they don't want to pay for that.

You know what we would pay for? Education -- public education. We know how important education is to getting a good job nowadays. That's clear in internal polling that both the GOP and Democrats have done.

That's not really a shock. Michiganders value education.

But Snyder, the self-proclaimed Tough Nerd, hasn't. He proposed slashing almost $1 billion from K-12 schools in his first year in office. In his last two budgets, per-pupil funding -- money that gets into the classroom -- has been just about stagnant.

Sure, using fuzzy math, Republicans have decided they've increased education funding by 11 percent -- something that doesn't pass the smell test with we parents who have seen our schools closed, our kid's favorite teacher laid off and our kids jammed into classrooms of 32 kids.

What Republicans have spent money on is funding the school retirement system, which is great, but doesn't mean anything for the kids in the classroom.

It's always laughable when conservatives argue that money doesn't mean anything when it comes to public education. But in the business world, that logic doesn't fly. Any business owner wants as much money as possible to run his company. And that's why GOP lawmakers devote much of their time to finding ways to cut taxes for those business owners, so they have more money at their disposal.

I went to one of the best public high schools in the nation in suburban Chicago (I'd put it up against the private school Snyder sends his kids to any day). Money was the single biggest reason why I was lucky enough to get an world-class education. We had the money to pay the best teachers and administrators, to offer diverse and college-level classes, to have a university-grade athletics center, to offer any extracurricular activity and to have a sprawling research library.

Every kid in America should have the chance I had. I was a nerd, like you know who. I loved to learn. But that love was nurtured by a school that offered AP Latin, Middle East History and a debate program that sent us to weekly tournaments across the country.

Higher Education has had it even worse in Michigan in the last few years. Snyder hit Michigan's 15 public universities, which are some of the best in the world -- with a 15-percent cut in 2011. His last two budgets only minimally increase funding.

You know who gets it? Business Leaders for Michigan, which is headed by Doug Rothwell, Snyder's righthand man on his Michigan Economic Development Corp. BLM wants $1 billion (with a "B") more for higher ed in the next 10 years. Rothwell says we need 1 million more Michiganders with college degrees by 2025 just to do the jobs we have now.

But even CEOs can't seem to break through to Snyder on this one. He gave universities about $25 million this year if they jump through a lot of hoops, like graduating people in the right degrees. Lake Superior State will get a nice increase under that scheme, but Wayne State will barely see anything.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Senate Democrats have reintroduced their Michigan 2020 Plan, which would provide any Michigan high school graduate with $10,000 a year if they attend a state university or community college. That will cost $1.8 billion when it's fully up and running in four years, paid for by closing some of the $35 billion in tax loopholes we have.

Now usually when the Dems propose anything, it's greeted with yawns and maybe a giggle, since they control jack squat in the state. But interestingly, Republicans have gone into full-on attack mode, with the state GOP and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce decrying the plan as a massive tax hike (but $1.2 billion for roads is OK, apparently, since a Republican governor wants it).

Rep. Jeff Farrington (R-Utica) had the oddest take: "'Free college' sounds great, but then so does 'free puppy.' Of course, there is no such thing in the real world."

Actually, I know lots of people who have gotten free puppies. And free puppies for everyone actually sounds kind of awesome, not really menacing.

Republicans have seen the same polling I have on education, and know that's a big priority to Michigan families. And they seem to be worried that the 2020 Plan might make them look back in next year's election.

So what's going on with Snyder and schools?

The simple fact is that when it comes to public education, Snyder just isn't that into it. Sure, that might seem funny for a guy who's a product of public K-12 schools, Kellogg Community College and the University of Michigan, but it's true.

Later this month, Snyder will receive a 300-odd page report from Republican lawyer Richard McLellan on retooling education. If the first draft is any indication, it won't be so much about improving public schools, but ways to create more charter and private schools and yes, bring back vouchers (which voters already shot down).

That's because Rick Snyder, a former CEO who's convinced himself that public education is just another broken, outdated company, isn't really concerned about improving it. He wants to improve the climate for alternatives in the private sector. If public schools don't survive in the new marketplace, he won't be shedding any tears.

In fact, you could argue that's exactly the point.

I have no philosophical problem with educational choice to give students and parents options. But I do have an issue with companies looking to run schools to make a profit. Education is about kids, not making money. It is a public good. It should stay that way.

Unfortunately, our CEO governor seems to see things differently.

Susan J. Demas is a political analyst and an award-winning journalist. She can be reached at sjdemas@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter here.